SAND-HOPPER MECHANISM FOR TRAMWAY-VEHICLES, &amp;c.



No. 777,000. I PATENTED DB0. 10, 1904.

J. GRIFPITHS.

SAND HOPPER MEGHANISM P00 TRAMWAY VEHICLES, am.

` APPLIoATIoN FILED JUNE 1.1000. N0 MODEL- 2 sHBETssHEBT 1.

FIG l 170.777,0'90. PATENTBD DEG. 13, 1904.

J. GRIPFITHS.

SAND HOPPER MEGHANISM FOR TRAMWAY VEHICLES, 6m.

A APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1.1903.

N0 MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

fr f* YIo Patented December 13, 1904. i

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GRIFFITHS, OIT LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

SAND-HOPPER wlEeHANlswl Fon rnAwlwAY-VEHICLES. ae.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,090, dated December13, 1904.

Application filed .Tune 1,1903. Serial No. 159,676. (No model.)

To @ZZ whmnt Tlv/tty concern:

Be it known that I, J Anus GRIFFIN-Is, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in Old Swan, Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sand-Hopper Mechanisms for Tramway, Railway, and the Like Vehicles, of whichvthe followingA is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved sandhopper mechanism for use inconnection with tramway, railway, or similar vehicles, where on accountof the greasy condition of the rails under certain conditions it isfound desirable to provide a ready means of directing a stream oi' sandonto the rail, so as to give the vehiclewheels a better grip thereon.

In the sand-hoppers as at present in use I find that it is only by usingspecial kinds of sand that satisfactory results are obtained and that indamp weather the sand clogs in theh mouth of the sand-hopper, and sorenders the apparatus inoperative or unreliable.

The object of my invention is to provide the hopper with a positive feedmotion whereby the cheaper kinds of sand may be used with certainty evenwhen in a moist condition.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure I is an elevation or' the general arrangement; Fig. II, a plan oithe same; Figs. III and IV, an elevation and a section or' theratchet-gear; Fig. V, a section on the line A A, of Fig. II, to anenlarged scale, of the hopper; and Fig. VI, a sectional elevation on theline B B of Eig. I.

Throughout the drawings the saine parte are indicated by the samereference-iigures, and in the ease of sections the direction in whichthey are viewed is indicated by the small arrows placed adjacent to theletters denoting the plane of section.

The hopper is preferably formed oi a sheetmetal container l, mounted ona cast-metal base 2, in which is housed the pocket-wheel 3 and belowwhich the outlet 4 is formed. The pocket-wheel 3 is located below theopening in the container l, and the contour or' the base 2 is so formedthat on one side it follows the contour of the pocket-wheel, while onthe other side a space is left opposite the opening in the container bywhich the wheel 3 is fed with sand. A spring 5 bridges across this spaceand makes Contact with the periphery of the teeth of the wheel. Thus asthe latter is caused to rotate it carries past the spring and deliverspositively to the outlet 4: a quantity of sand which depends upon itsrotation and upon the capacity of its pockets. I prer'er to use a wheelwith teeth oi the shape shown; but of course the shape of the pocketsmay be varied to suit the requirements of particular eases. The wheel isoperated through a shaft 6, which is preferably made square and iscarried on journals formed in the prolongations of its boss 3'. Thesejournalsrotate in bushes 7, formed in the sides of the base 2, which issplit across the line C C in order that the wheel and bushes may beinserted in place.

The shaft 6 is operated by the foot-rod 8, the lever9, the rod l0,ratchet-lever 11, ratchet 12, and pawl 13, and the lever 9 is controlledby the tensile spring 1&1, connected by the adjustable rod 15 to theL-plate 16, carried from the car-frame 17, to which also the hopperbase2 and the lever 9 are attached.

The ratchet 12 has a square hole which lits the shaft 6, and the end 11ot' the lever 11 is made in the form or' a split casing, which almostcompletely houses the ratchet and in which the pawl 13is pivoted. Thepawl 13 is pressed into engagement with the teeth by the plate-springs18.

It will be seen then that as the' ratchet-lever is oscillated by thedepression of the drivers foot through the gear described it rotates thepocket-wheel through a definite angle and feeds the sand. The returnstroke effected by the spring 14 is inoperative to rotate thepocket-wheel, so that the latter is intermittently rotated each time thefoot-rod 8 is depressed, and the amount by which it rotates may beregulated according to the distance of the point of attachment betweenthe rod 10 and the lever 11 from the center of the pocketwheel, and aseries of holes 19 may be provided i'or this regulation.

I iind that a tube 20, formed of spring-steel or other wire wound into aclose spiral, is best IOO adapted to guide the sand from the outlet 4onto the rails.

I usually provide one hopper for each wheel, and I operate the hoppersfor a pair of wheels on the same axle by a common shaft 4, actuated bythe one ratchet and gear. In the case of, say, a tram-car there would betwo pairs of hoppers and two sets of operating-gear, one at each end ofthe car. If desired, of course the four hoppers could be operated by theone gear by connecting the shafts 6 together by sprocket-wheels andchain.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rail-sanding device, in combination; a hopper the lower part ofwhich is shaped to house a pocket-wheel on one side thereof and providedwith a plate making' contact with the periphery of the pocket-wheel andextending to the other side of the hopper; a pocket-wheel and means forrotating the pocket-wheel; substantially as described.

2. In a rail-sanding device, in combination; a hopper the lower part ofwhich is shaped to house a pocket-wheel on one side thereof and which isprovided with a plate making contact with the periphery of thepocket-wheel and extending to the other side of the hopper, said hopperbeing divided across a plane containing the axis of the pocket-wheel; apocket-wheel; and means to rotate the pocketwheel; substantially asdescribed.

3. In a rail-sanding device; in combination with the hopper and thepocket-wheel; the

means for rotating the pocket-wheel consisting of a ratchet-wheel on thepocket-wheel shaft, a lever provided with a pawl adapted to oscillateabout the center of the said shaft, a foot-rod and mechanism to conveythe movement of the said foot-rod to the ratchet-lever;

substantially as described.

4. In a rail-sanding device in combination with the hopper and thepocket-wheel;. the ratchet-wheel on the pocket-wheel shaft; alever,provided with a pawl, adapted to oscilllate about the center of the saidshaft and the divided across a plane containing the axis of thepocket-wheel and provided with a plate making contact with the peripheryof the pocket-wheel, and with bushes to form bearings for thepocket-wheels; a pocket-wheel the boss of which is journaled in saidbushes, and means operated by a foot-rod for rotating the pocket-wheel;substantially as described.

6.- In a rail-sanding device a series of hoppers, a series ofpocket-wheels, and means for rotating the pocket-wheels consisting ofshafts connecting opposite pairs of pocket-wheels, and connectedtogetherand operated by a ratchet-wheel, pawl, lever and foot-rodconnected to the latter lever; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES GRIFFITHS.

Witnesses:

J. E. LLOYD BARNES, JOSEPH E. HIRsT.

